Page 295 - The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction Sustainable Construction for Engineers

258 Cha pte r S i x

(SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction, 2nd edition
Nov. 2007, Chap. 3, must be adhered to; absorptive materials must be protected from
moisture; and permanent air handlers must have filtration media installed during
construction and replaced prior to occupancy. The SMACNA guidelines are further
subdivided into five main categories representing the five SMACNA principles. The
SMACNA principles shall be met even if the facility is not occupied during construction as
applicable.

SMACNA The five SMACNA principles are
• Protection of permanent HVAC equipment
• Air pollutant source control
• Air pollutant pathway interruption
• Housekeeping to prevent air pollution
• Scheduling to prevent contamination
Protection of permanent HVACequipment can best be achieved by not using permanent
HVAC equipment during the construction phase, whenever possible. Temporary heating
sources may be a good alternative. In addition, all openings in the system should be sealed,
if possible, during construction; and if it is not possible, then filters should be installed and
replaced prior to occupancy. Unducted plenums represent other potential sources for
contamination into the HVAC system that cannot be easily controlled at point sources.
Special consideration should be given to these areas and work scheduled so that the
plenums are isolated as quickly as possible with ceilings. Another benefit of protecting
HVAC equipment is for continued energy performance. Studies have revealed that fouled
HVAC equipment can significantly impact the efficiency of the units.
One additional recommendation for protection of permanent HVAC equipment is
not to store construction materials or other potential air pollutant sources in mechanical
rooms. These preventive procedures will aid in minimizing particulate matter (PM)
contamination of the equipment and ductways. This leads to suggestions for other air
pollutant source controls.
The best way to ensure air pollutant source control is to minimize many sources of
air pollutants such as toxic finish materials or high-VOC (volatile organic compound or
carbon) materials used on the site. However, there are still some materials that probably
will be used that might cause a problem if not handled properly. Housekeeping
chemicals and used chemical containers should be stored and disposed of responsibly.
Idling vehicles and other sources of emissions such as petroleum-fueled construction
tools should be reduced if possible and located in areas remote from enclosed areas or
accessways to enclosed areas such as HVAC intakes. This leads to suggestions for
preventing on-site air pollutants from entering constructed areas.
Air pollutant pathway interruptions can be made by isolating the areas under
construction from clean or occupied areas by physical barriers (permanent or temporary)
or ventilation and depressurization schemes.
Housekeeping is arguably the most important way to prevent air pollutant
contaminants from affecting the facility. Frequent cleaning, vacuuming, and dust
prevention measures, such as wetting agents for exposed soils, can prevent much of the
PM pollutants from entering the facility and affecting the construction phase workers.
Housekeeping also includes properly storing, staging, and protecting absorbent materials